Horticulture in the Solomons

Solomons

rE British Solomon Islands Horticul tural Society held its second annual show in Tulagi on October 4, under the patronage of the Resident Commis sioner, Mr. W. S. Marchant, OBE.

Entries were better than in the previ ous year—vegetable exhibits especially being in a great variety and of fine quality.

The Burns, Philp cup was won by Mrs.

W. S. Marchant for the highest aggre gate number of points in all competitive classes.

The Shield, for the best horticultural display from native schools, was won by Bunana Girls’ school, with a wide range of root crops, legumes, grains, fruit and native green vegetables.

This display of such a range of food crops indicates the improvement that is being made in the dietary of the native population, and demonstrates the value of schools where horticulture and diete tics receive primary consideration. The pupils maintain their own gardens and receive tuition in the cultivation and preparation of the recently introduced crops—i.e., grains and legumes.

Another interesting feature in the Bunana school display was a small scale model of the school garden, with growing crops, which illustrated in a unique way, contour bench farming and draining, rotational cropping and green manuring.

The model also illustrated the system of farming on the steep slopes behind the gardens, with permanent three crops and a ground cover of Calapogonium mucinoides.

Only Malaita, Nggela and Guadalcanal competed for the district shield—won by Malaita with a superb display of a wide range of native food crops, formally, the Solomon Islander is a root eater, and it was gratifying to observe the inclusion of grains and legumes in the district exhibits.

These were the prize winners:—

Cut Flowers—All Varieties

ZINNIAS: Ist, Mrs. C. V. Widdy; 2nd, Mrs.

Mac Stewart; 3rd, Mr. R. S. Humphreys.

BALSAMS: Mrs. Mhc Stewart. FRENCH MARI GOLDS: Mrs. Mac Stewart. CHRYSANTHE MUMS: Mrs. W. S. Marchant. PHYLOX: Mrs. K.

H. D. Hay. BEST BOWL MIXED FLOWERS: Ist, Mrs. W. S. Marchant: 2nd, Mr. C. E.

Spencer. BEST SINGLE BLOOM: Ist, Mrs, W.

S. Marchant: 2nd, Mrs. J. C. M. Scott; 3rd, Mrs. C. V. Widdy. THREE VASES OF MIS CELLANEOUS FLOWERS: Ist, Mrs. W. S. Mar chant; 2nd, Mrs. W. H. Baddeley.

Ornamental

Pot Plants—Flowering: Mrs. C. V. Widdy.

Pot Plants—Non-Flowering: Ist, Mrs. A.

W. Glenn; 2nd, Mr. E. Spencer; 3rd, Mrs. J. C.

M. Scott. FERNS IN HANGING BASKETS; Ist, Mrs. W. G. Hobbs; 2nd, Mrs. A. W. Glenn.

Ornamental Shrubs; Father Wall. Basket

OP MIXED FRUITS: Ist, Mr. C. E. Spencer; 2nd, Mala Sub-District.

Basket Of Native Vegetables

—Four Kinds

CLASS A; Ist, Mr, P. A. Rhoades; 2nd, Taroaniara School; 3rd, Catholic Mission School, Ruavatu. CLASS B: Ist, Togondo; 2nd, Timothy Trugge; 3rd, John Plant.

Vegetables—All Varieties

Pumpkins, Queensland Blue; Mr. C. E.

Spencer. Pumpkins, Long Yellow: Ist,

Visale Mission; 2nd, John Panic. PUMPKINS, ROUND: Ist, Mr. F. A. Rhoades; 2nd, Gold Ridge. PUMPKINS, SQUASH: Ruavatu Mission.

CABBAGE: Master M. J. Baddeley. BEETROOT; Mr. O. Bergin. ENGLISH POTATOES: Gold Ridge. BEANS: Mrs. R. Hyne. CARROTS: Mr.

O. Bergin. TOMATOES: Ist, Mr. R. S. Humphreys; 2nd, Bishop Baddeley. SILVER BEET: Mr. A.

W. Glenn. EGG PLANT: Mr, W. French. YAMS: Timothy.

Basket Of Mixed Vegetables: Ist, Mr.

A. W. Glenn; 2nd, Mr. F. A. Rhoades; 3rd, Mr.

J. K. Brownless.

Best Decorated Table: W. S. Marchant.

General Horticultural Display From!

NATIVE DISTRICTS: Ist, Bunana Girls’ School; 2nd, Taroaniara Mission Station; 3rd, Catholic School, Guadalcanal.

General Horticultural Display From

NATIVE DISTRICT: Ist, Malaita District; 2nd, Nggela; 3rd, Guadalcanal.

A short, severe earth tremor felt in Wau, New Guinea, during the afternoon of November 6 was described as “the most intense tremor experienced since Salamaua was visited by a tidal wave two years ago’'. Apart from broken crockery, etc., little damage was done.

The small New Caledonian dependen cies, Wallis and Futuna, are having their stamps surcharged with the words “France Libre”, but the two categories so stamped are being issued only in very limited numbers —300 in the case of 10 francs stamps, and the same number of 20 francs value. Both islands lie far away from New Caledonia —they are about 300 miles NE of Fiji and due west of Samoa.